The use of video telephony, which allows remote parties to both see and hear one another, is becoming increasingly popular. As used herein, “video telephony” refers to visual communication using both video and audio transmitted over a communications network. It includes both mobile and stationary video telephony. Typically, video telephony refers to packet-switched and circuit-switched, wireless and wired, audio and video communications, such as Voice Over IP or VoIP communications, and video teleconferencing. Such applications facilitate remote communication by providing a visual image of each conference participant. Accordingly, video telephony allows parties to communicate audibly and visibly, without requiring lengthy and expensive travel.
In a typical video telephony application, a camera is positioned to obtain an image of each of the video telecommunications session or interaction participants. The image of one participant is then provided to the other participant so that each participant is viewing the other participant during the session. Because the individual participants in video telephony are typically looking at a video monitor providing an image of the other participant, it is difficult for a participant during the session to comprehend the physical boundaries of the camera's field of view being captured by his or her corresponding camera. As will be appreciated, “field of view” refers to the actual size of the captured image and is proportional to the focal length of the camera's lens system. When making a video call, it is very useful to know what is being displayed to the other participant of the call (or to know what is in-shot and out-of-shot). This not only allows the participant's camera to be aimed or oriented correctly (to include the desired area(s) and/or object(s) and exclude undesired area(s) and/or object(s)) but also allows participants to avoid distracting actions “on-camera” or attempting to communicate by gestures while the gesture is off camera.
Currently, the desire of each participant to understand what the other participant is viewing during the communication session is accommodated by having a separate second monitor set up which displays the image currently being sent to the other participant, thereby allowing each participant to check in real-time what is being shown to the other participant. There are drawbacks with this approach. First, the second monitor must be easily visible. Often it is too small to be easily seen by the participant from each of the participant's desired physical positions/orientations. Second, the continual looking away of a participant from the camera to view the second monitor can be distracting to the other participant. Third, when the camera is adjusted by the participant, the participant often must awkwardly look away from the camera towards the second monitor, thereby complicating proper camera adjustment. Fourth, when the user is attempting to position entirely or partially an object within the view of the camera he or she must look at the second monitor, which complicates positioning the object. Finally, the participant must be mindful during the communication session of when they are approaching the invisible field of view boundary from either direction.